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Descriptive Words



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Sat Apr 19, 2014 1:36 am
Mynameswriter says...



Okay so i have good description i just want to add "Bigger" words. I don't know a lot. So i'm stuck with a good story with a lack of description. If you could help me i'd be super grateful. Beforehand, thank you for helping me!
  





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Sat Apr 19, 2014 1:47 am
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Rosendorn says...



First, read this.

Then, read this.
A writer is a world trapped in a person— Victor Hugo

Ink is blood. Paper is bandages. The wounded press books to their heart to know they're not alone.
  





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Sat Apr 19, 2014 2:31 am
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eldEr says...



1) Refrain from muddling your work with "-ly" adjectives/adverbs (quietly, swiftly, happily, amazingly, wonderfully, etc). Don't never use them, but it really bogs down your writing and screws up what could have been a really nice flow, if you use too many of them. They're an 'only use when necessary' descriptor.

2) Character dialogue. Honestly, character dialogue is my favourite way to throw in hints about the setting. Like, a character commenting on how many leaves there are, or how weird the clouds look, or how much they like the green that their friend painted the walls. Don't make it unrealistic- it's just very normal for people to comment on their surroundings, if something stands out to them.

3) You don't want giant info-dump descriptive paragraphs unless it fits the voice of the narrator. Like, if they're ogling at something very specific, or if something about the setting really stands out to them. You only give the reader the basics- what they need to know in order to get a general idea of the place, and the personality of whoever occupies it. You want to paint a picture, but you don't need to paint every single teeny tiny little detail. Slipping little pieces of imagery into quiet, subtle places is the best method, I find.

4) Read books with descriptive language! I highly recommend the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Jane Eyre. They're stunning pieces, and really pull at your creativity.

5) Be creative. "The floral rug" can be turned into something a lot less dull. At the same time, don't spend an entire paragraph describing this stupid rug unless it's absolutely vital to the plot.

(also the links. Read them)
Guuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurl.

got trans?
  





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Thu May 08, 2014 9:09 pm
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GoldFlame says...



Hey, Names!

"Big words" is an ambiguous term. I assume you're referring to words like soliloquize, physiognomy, pertinacious. Words that brighten your lexicon, but also words that sabotage your descriptions.

I collect words. Ordinary words, but they produce beautiful offspring. Cinnamon dusts, pebbled hide, metal throat. Ray Bradbury embraced this technique. It's the closest thing to a shortcut. There are still a set of rules you have to follow, one of which involves clichés.

Her hair cascaded down her shoulders.

The wind moaned my name.


Well, they're fine in your first draft. If you stop every few seconds to alter a simile, you'll never get ideas down. But alter those similes when you're revising. Insert consonance, metaphors, all that fun stuff. I'd also recommend monitoring your helping verbs.

In other words, you want strong predicates. Replace a "has" with "suffers" or "possesses." Not only are they vague; they look ugly. It's the same case with prepositional phrases. Too many and the description's choppy, and the last you thing want is a choppy description. Stephenie Meyer bugs me like nothing else with her love for adverbs. I swear, one day they'll pop the question. There's even a Stephen King quote for it: "The road to hell is paved with adverbs."

More tips:

Don't recycle anything. I've been tempted on occasion, but think of it as plagiarizing yourself. It's not wrong, ethically, but it's annoying to the reader.

Details! This is a big one. Descriptions aren't just "show" and not "tell." They're a combination of both. So fuse narrative with scene, action with details.

Cut out everything that doesn't need to be there. One exception to this rule is the word "that." Use it. Be as clear as possible. Your objective isn't to confuse the reader, and if is, it should be on account of an unreliable narrator.
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Sun May 11, 2014 2:07 pm
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TimmyJake says...



This is just gonna be quick. I have 4.321 minutes before take-off.

You want to use bigger words? Meh. Bigger words do come in time... But sometimes they shouldn't. Why would you want to use a word that no one understands in the place of a simple one that everyone loves and understands?
Big words pull readers out of books. At least it does so to me. You don't have to write words like pandemonium for people to love your writing. And it confuses people, too! Look at Hunger Games as an example. Simplest writing ever. No big words to muddle the characters voice... and its a bestseller. Simple words sell.
Descriptive? Well, I agree with goldy above me. Simple words combined make a beautiful, complex description. You don't need complicated to make depth...

A brief example:

She has blonde hair. It runs down her face, going in front of her eyes. She hates it. She has blue eyes, like the stars.


Isn't that description boring?

What you need to do sometimes is put the descriptions as you see them, as your characters see them. What does Bob(example name. hee hee) think of this girl's looks? Does he think she is pretty? Does he think her hair is scraggly? And you can always add some... personalization(ohhh... big word!) to your descriptions. How you see it.

So another example to wrap this up, this time as I see it.

She has blonde hair. Not the kind that is scraggly and straight, hanging down in her face like a wall. No, it is curly. The waves cascade(just for goldy, :D) down in white sheets to her shoulders, hiding her neck from the sun's intense gaze.... and cut.


So this character doesn't like straight hair, obviously. Neither do I, even though I have a head full of it. :D

On more thing before I go... Don't "overdescribe" something to make your point. Like the description above. That is a little overboard for today's readers. A hundred years ago, I could have described that wonderful hair for three pages and everyone would be exalting my name. Today, my lovely description would be in the trash. Just for future reference.

I am new at this writing tips stuff. Hopefully this helps.
~Timmyjake, out.
Used to be tIMMYjAKE
  





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Sun Jul 13, 2014 6:37 am
IamTraunt says...



I would say, read more books. That is the most important thing of all. If you don't understand a word you are reading, ask. Don't be scared to ask people what a word means.
Secondly, think of simple words and then look up alternatives, for example: say. Synonyms for 'say' are 'add, affirm, allege, announce, answer, assert, break silence, claim, come out with, communicate, conjecture, convey, declare, deliver, disclose, divulge, do, estimate, express, flap, gab, give voice, guess, imagine, imply, jaw, judge, lip, maintain, make known, mention, opine, orate, perform, pronounce, put forth, put into words, rap, read, recite, rehearse, relate, remark, render, repeat, reply, report, respond, reveal, rumor, speak, spiel*, state, suggest, tell, utter, verbalize, voice, yak.' There are loads. Then pick some out. If you don't know what some mean, ask. Asking is essential.
Another good tip is to read your work out to whoevers with you and ask if it sounds accurate. If it doesn't, change it. Then read it out again until you get the right word.
I hope this helped ;)
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Sun Jul 13, 2014 9:29 pm
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Rosendorn says...



"Said" alternatives are best used sparingly. When you start using alternatives for it left right and centre, people pay more attention to the tag than the dialogue itself. Oftentimes, body language or even the dialogue (and its punctuation) can give you clues for how something is said.

Alternatives and modifiers to "said" itself are best when there are no other alternatives. Then, you want people to pay attention to how it's said, so you use a word that draws attention.
A writer is a world trapped in a person— Victor Hugo

Ink is blood. Paper is bandages. The wounded press books to their heart to know they're not alone.
  








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